Drier, in particular for food paste products, such as macaroni and the like



Oct. 28, 1958 A. MARC TTI 2,857,685

. DRIER, IN PARTICULAR F F PASTE PRODUCTS, SUCH AS MACAR AN HE LIKE mm March 1957 F 1 u; Q

INVENTOR United Eitates Pfltfiflt 2,857,685 Fatentecl Oct. 28, 1958 DRIER, IN PARTICULAR lFOR F001) PASTE PROD- UCTS, SUCH AS MACARONI AND THE LIKE Augusto Marchetti, Milan, Italy, assignor to Gebrueder Buehler, Uzwil, Switzerland, a firm of Switzerland Application March 4, 1957, Serial No. 643,851 Claims priority, application Switzerland March 3, 1956 2 Claims. (Cl. 3486) My present invention relates to improvements in driers, in particular driers for food-paste products. In known driers of this class, in particular the long continuous driers, it is difiicult to keep the drier bottom clean and to avoid the formation of condensate on the drier walls.

My present invention affords means for eliminating said disadvantages. According to the invention, the drier is characterized in that its housing stands at some distance from the ground, i. e. from the floor of the drying room, and the supply and return pipe lines for the heating medium are disposed between the bottom wall of the drier housing and the ground.

In the arrangement disclosed by the present invention, it is a very simple matter to clean the floor below the drier. On the other hand, the air is heated by contact with the pipe lines for the heating fluid, sweeps over the lateral walls of the housing and rises to the ceiling of the drier room. The formation of condensate is prevented by virtue of the higher air temperature on the exterior walls of the drier housing. The flow of this heated outside air may be improved by outwardly arching the lateral walls of the drier housing. To take into account the variations in the drier length as caused by temperature variations, adjustable props are used for supporting the drier housing on the floor.

One form of the invention is schematically shown, by way of example, in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a cross-section of the drier, i. e. a section at right angles to the direction of movement of the goods through the same; Fig. 2 is a side view of the drier in a smaller scale; Fig. 3 is an elevation of an adjustable prop; and Fig. 4 is a vertical section, in a larger scale, through an adapter or intermediate link of an adjustable prop.

The drier housing 1 (Figs. 1 and 2) stand on the floor of the drying room at some distance therefrom and contains the drying chamber 2 in which are disposed mechanical means (not shown) for conveying the goods contained in the drying chamber. Lateral walls 11 of housing 1 and the later walls of drying chamber 2 define therebetween a pair of air-circulating passageways 3 in which an air-current is produced by fans 4 to which are annexed heater means 5, such as suitable batteries or the like. The air in the drier is circulated by suitable circulating means, e. g. the fans 4, through the heater means 5, passageways 3, apertures in the lateral walls of the drying chamber, and through the drying chamber 2 while passing from the apertures in one lateral wall toward the apertures in the other lateral wall of the drying chamber. Fan means 4 and heater means 5 are located in a lower connecting duct between the bottom walls of drying chamber 2 and drier housing 1, respectively.

The supply pipe lines 6 for a heating medium, for example steam, are arranged between the bottom wall of 4 2 drier housing 1 and the floor of the drying room. Branch lines or conduits 7 connect the lines 6 with the heater means 5 from which lead branch lines or conduits 8 to the return pipe lines 9 which also are arranged between the bottom wall of drier housing 1 and the floor.

in the arrangement shown and described, outside air flowing in the direction of the arrows is heated by the supply pipe lines 6 and the return pipe lines 9, sweeps over the lateral walls 11 of drier housing 1 which are arched with a view of improving the air flow, and rises to the ceiling (not shown) of the drying room.

In order to compensate for the longtudinal variations of the drier caused by the temperature variations, adjustable props 15 are provided, while fixed supports 16 serve to locate the bottom wall of the drier housing. The adjustable props 15 (Figs. 3 and 4) comprise spherically shaped seats or sockets 17 which act as compensating bearings. Between the seats 17 and the bottom wall of drier housing 1, the props 15 comprise adapters 18 with setting spindles 19 which are provided with square-end portions 20. Longitudinal changes of the drier housing 1 are automatically compensated by movements of the adapters 18 in the bearing seats 17. The latter also may be made cylindrical, since variations in the length of the drier are greater than variations in the width thereof. Changes in height may be readily compensated for by turning a wrench applied to the square portion 20.

I claim:

1. A drier for food paste products and the like which comprises, in combination: an outer housing having a. pair of lateral walls and a bottom wall; means for supporting the bottom wall of said housing at a distance from the ground whereby said bottom wall and the ground define a space therebetween; means located in said space for heating air and for circulating the air upwardly over the lateral walls of said housing to prevent condensation of moisture thereon, said means comprising supply and return pipe lines for a heating medium; a drying chamber for containing the goods to be dried, said chamber being located within said housing and comprising a bottom wall and a pair of lateral walls, said lateral walls defining with the lateral walls of said housing a pair of opposed passageways and said bottom wall defining with the bottom wall of said housing a connect ing duct between said passageways, each lateral wall of said chamber having apertures therein; heater means and fan means located in said connecting duct for heating air therein and for circulating the heated air through one of said passageways, through the apertures in one lateral wall of said chamber, through said chamber, through the apertures in the other lateral wall of said chamber and through the other of said passageways back into said connecting duct; and conduit means connecting said heater means with said pipe lines for supplying a heating medium to, and for returning spent heating medium from said heater means.

2. A drier as set forth in claim 1, wherein the lateral walls of said housing are outwardly arched to improve the flow of heated air from said space over said last mentioned lateral walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 217,022 Robbins July 1, 1879 419,798 Sampson Ian. 21, 1890 2,779,105 Park Jan. 29, 1957 

